Kazakshstan Geography Profile 2012

Kazakhstan is composed of a vast, generally low-lying plain, fringed by mountains on the east and southeast. Differences in elevation in the republic are extreme. Mountainous areas along the border with Kyrgyzstan reach a height of nearly 5000 m (nearly 16,400 ft), while considerable areas near the Caspian Sea lie below sea level.

The Caspian Sea, the lowest point in Europe, lies at an elevation of about 28 m (about 91.9 ft) below sea level, while the Karagiye Depression, located to the east of the Caspian, lies at an even lower elevation. With a height of 132 m (about 433 ft) below sea level, the Karagiye Depression is the lowest point in the former USSR.

Most of Kazakhstan's major rivers drain internally, mainly into Lake Zaysan, Lake Balqash, and the Aral and Caspian seas. Diversion of river water from the Syr Darya and Ili rivers, principally for irrigation purposes, has led to a decline in the surface level of the Aral Sea and Lake Balqash. A few rivers, such as the Ishim, Irtysh, and Tobol, flow north to the Arctic Ocean. The riverbeds of most of the small and medium-sized rivers remain dry for much of the year. Precipitation is meager and generally decreases southward. Deserts and semideserts, including stone, salt, and sand wastelands, cover more than two-thirds of the country's surface area.

The climate of Kazakhstan is extremely continental, and, due to the vastness of the country, characterized by great internal variations. Average daily temperature in January ranges from -19° to -4° C (-2.2° to 24.8° F), while average daily temperature in July is 19° to 26° C (66.2° to 78.8° F). In the summer temperatures can reach 45° C (113° F), and in the winter temperatures can fall below -45° C (-49° F).

Kazakhstan is home to some extremely rare animal species, such as the Saiga antelope, which is protected by government decree.